SC orders govt to appoint CEC by Dec 1st

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the government and opposition to appoint the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) by December 1st and turned down a plea

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk in its ruling warned that the court will issue notices to the prime minister and the leader of the opposition if they failed to fill the constitutional post of CEC by December 1st.

The government and the opposition have failed to finalize a name for the post of the CEC as the deadline set by the Supreme Court for the appointment of the CEC ends today.

The government sought further time to fill the key constitutional post lying vacant after resignation of Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim in 2013.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the opposition leader Syed Khursheed Shah have yet to reach over consensus on a name for appointment of the CEC.

The apex court in its previous hearing had given November 24 deadline for appointment on the top election office and warned that it will withdraw Acting CEC Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali from the post if the government fails to decide the matter.

Attorney General Salman Aslam Butt sought more time from the top court for appointment on the key election post but the bench ordered the government and the opposition to decide the matter by December 1st, otherwise the court will issue notices to the prime minister and the leader of the opposition.